I'm a professional grandpa

One hundred twenty years ago today, my paternal grandmother was born and today I remember her and the significant contribution she made in my self-esteem formation.  She passed 45 years ago yet pleasant memories of her are as fresh as yesterday. 

The best way to honor her today and each day for the rest of my life is being the best grandpa possible to my four little grandsons.  And, this is what I intend to do, today, tomorrow and each day remaining of my life. 

I’ve recently shared here that I’m newly retired.  Guess what?  I’m not retired, I’m a professional grandpa. 

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Someone looking like that

 

My gracefully aging journey is a work in process that constantly leaves visual footprints that my aging is real and not imaginary like the mirror images I see in subdued lighting suggesting something other than my truth.  Mrs. Pierini Fitness said it best earlier this year when telling me that while all my fitness training may give me a lean and mean athletic body appearance than someone my chronological age, it comes at a price of giving me a face looking like a 70-year old man.

Ouch, that sort of hurt.  Not really, but it made for a great laugh.  Life isn’t worth living if you can’t have a good laugh about yourself, courtesy of someone else.  My reply was that I’d gladly take a lean and mean body any day even if it comes with a 70-year old looking face; Freddy Kreuger, here I come!

Further visual evidence of my aging was bountiful this year because I took a lot of photographs of myself during a lengthy period that I named as my Coronavirus 2020 no cut look.  You see, I went about eight months without a haircut in a “science experiment” of sorts.  While my hair doesn’t grow as fast as it used to, after eight months, I had some amazing hairlocks length and wildness that gave me an appearance I hadn’t had in a long time.

And, along the way in my Coronavirus 2020 no cut journey, these photos showcased some of the most unflattering imagery possible of Pierini Fitness.   I surprised many clients and acquaintances who hadn’t seen me in a while, and repeatedly annoyed Mrs. Pierini Fitness who constantly badgered me to get a haircut.

But I held out until I retired; then, on my first day being retired, October 1^st, I finally visited my barber and got a haircut that would make an Army drill sergeant happy.  It felt good to be groomed; the science experiment has run its course.

There were, however, some surprising benefits to the grunge look I sported for over one-half a year.  First, the panhandlers who frequent the area where my office was located no longer hit me up asking for spare change.  Second, I had a homeless person come up to me once and look me in my eyes, telling me, “Hey man, you’re going to be OK.  Life will get better, trust me.”

Well, not really, but telling this to others made for a good laugh.

To sum up my Coronavirus 2020 no cut science experiment lasting a whopping eight months, it gave me a look that some would say, “Back in the day, you had to go to the circus to see someone looking like that.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Trying on cowboy hats

Today is the 12^th day of my retirement and, thus far, life has been good.  You’ve got to do it to know what it’s really like because words can’t totally convey the experience.  I’m finally catching up on my sleep and that feels great.  I did a killer nap session yesterday and felt like a rich man.

It’s quite a change moving from my hometown city with a population over 500,000 (considerably more if you count the greater metropolitan area) to a town with a population of under 10,000.  At the top of my list of pleasant changes is no traffic.  That feels great. Who would have known?

It’s a much slower pace that is starting to include some daily regularities.  Rather than buying coffee on the go, I now make it at home.  I’m still trying to get into a workout groove and that’s taking longer than I thought.  The higher temperature makes time of day more important of a consideration.  

I finally assembled my bar dip unit and have taken my portable pull-up unit for a test drive.  Both are working well so they’re ready for workout use.  I’ve established my kettlebell workout location and they too are ready for action.  I plan on getting a good workout today.

But overall, life is simple.  Thus far, I don’t miss work, but I do think of my former clients, wondering how they’re doing.  Fine, I’m sure because they’re in good hands.

Spending time with my grandsons is sure fun.  It’s great being a up front and close grandpa in their lives.  It’s a joy watching them enjoy their youth.  Lessons for me and all watching younger people enjoying their youth.

Each day is a new adventure that’s free of any forced structure or a daily grind.  Last Saturday, for example, perhaps the highlight of my day was trying on cowboy hats.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Marching forward in my new life journey - Que será, será

Good morning Pierini Fitness sports fans; did you miss me?  It’s been a long time; three and one-half months to be exact.  There’s a reason for my unplanned sabbatical and I’m going to share it with you.  It feels good to be back.

You see, I was very busy planning and executing a relocation to another state.  I’m no longer a California resident effective today.  I’m now an Arizona resident.  Who would have thought?

I also retired from my business.  That happened yesterday around 5:15 pm when my IT consultant arrived to begin the process of shutting down my computer and preparing my business and personal digital files for transfer.  Today is day one being a retired middle-age man. So far, so good.

For those of you interested, today I’m sharing what I think life might be like marching forward during the first month of my retirement, starting with today.  Some of you might not be interested.  If this is you, check back in about two weeks for my next Pierini Fitness blog post. 

I'm wise enough to know that life can change in a heartbeat or my next breath of air.  I'm grateful for the life I've lived thus far.  Assuming I make it during the first month of my retirement, here's what I imagine I'll be doing.    

Today, October 1st, movers are arriving at 9:00 am. to take what's left in my office, primarily heavy office furniture, and haul it to the dump.  Yes, the dump!  

I'm not fussing around trying to sell what I have on Craigslist for spare pocket change.  I don't need the money and I don't need the headache of taking phone calls from strangers looking for a steal and having the propensity to waste my time, time I don't have.  At the end of day tomorrow, it must and will all be gone!

It's also the day that I declare myself an Arizona resident. I'll reside in Wickenburg, Arizona, a small town of under 10,000 people with no gang bangers or homeless people, a place where people kneel for God and stand and salute the flag.

I plan on waking up very early Friday morning, October 2nd, and leaving at 5:00 am for a non-stop drive home.  Figuring in brief toilet and stretching breaks at rest stops along Interstate 5 and later Interstate 10, I expect my solo journey will take around 11 to 12 hours.  

Once arriving but before going home, I need to stop and get a haircut. I've been sporting a Coronavirus no-cut look since my last haircut early this year.  My wife has warned me I better not arrive without a haircut and I think I better heed her warning.

The following Monday, October 5th, I must go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new Arizona driver’s license. I need this before I can register to vote, and Monday is the last day to do so if I want to vote in the November election.  I dare not miss voting; it's too important.

Eventually, I'll set up my computers at my new home office. Let's say that'll take a day.  I'm not rushing to get this done because my wife needs help with more important household chores.

And, of course, I'll immediately start daily activities with my grandsons, giving them grandfather instruction about living a good life.  We'll have lots of time playing together.  I'm going to show them how to give and get out of a headlock and a hammerlock, and also show them the true meaning of the word "Uncle" that every boy learned growing up thanks to an older brother, cousin or friend.  I'll also show them what a knuckle sandwich is.

I plan on buying a new pickup truck for my new rural community lifestyle.  I no longer want to rely on friends to borrow their truck, or rent one, when needing to haul something.  I've narrowed my search and am ready to buy and will need to go to Phoenix or Surprise to do so.  I plan on taking my two oldest grandsons with me so they can learn at an early age how to bargain for a good deal.  It should be a fun experience.

I'll also resume adding new content to my Pierini Fitness blog, something I’ve been doing for over a dozen years.   Give me a couple weeks to be back on that saddle full throttle. 

Then, I need to get my fitness workout schedule in place.  As many of my former clients and hometown homeboys know, for several years now my gym has been at various local parks.  I rotated my outdoor workouts between McKinley Park, William Land Park, Curtis Park and Leland Stanford Park depending on what I was doing.  

I'll miss all these parks with their lush green grass and wonderful trees. My new training venue will likely be at home somewhere on the 1.6 acres grounds upon which it sits, and the nearby Wickenburg High School for track running workouts.

Then, there'll be the normal stuff done each week like trips to Trader Joe's for groceries and maybe Costco every now and then.  Those stores are in Surprise, a nearby city about 40 minutes away.  We'll drive to Phoenix on Sunday to attend Mass at Mater Misercordiae Catholic Church. It offers the Traditional Latin Mass just like the church we attended in Sacramento, St. Stephen The First Martyr.

We recently purchased a pistol and rifle to add a new outdoor activity and enjoy Arizona's open carry state status.  I look forward to going to the shooting range to sharpen my shooting skills.  I've never been a gun person but did learn to appreciate and respect them when in the Army firing the M-16 rifle and M-60 machine gun.  That was almost 50 years ago.

Finally, I need about 40 hours of continuing education to keep my California CPA license current, something I intend to do.  And I'll likely apply for an Arizona CPA license, just for kicks.  

I’ll also spend time providing transition assistance to my chosen successor.  I want to make sure my former clients continue to be well served.

And anything else, we'll just have to see but it should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

I liken it to how it was when a teenager and school was out for the entire summer except now, my summer will be endless.  

Some say that I'll eventually get bored.  Time will tell if this is true.  If I do, I can always work as a bagger at Trader Joe's.  I've never seen one of their employees who didn't seem like they totally enjoyed their job. That appeals to me.

And let's not forget a daily nap.  That's what older folks are supposed to do and by golly, I'm an older folk in training!

It should be fun marching forward in my new life journey - Que será, será

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum